The present invention relates to a removable pitching rubber, and relates more particularly to a pitching rubber which is of high quality and durable construction and which can be mounted stationarily in the ground but readily removed following play.
Pitching mounds are traditional parts of the game of baseball and softball, and a pitching rubber is typically mounted at generally the center portion of the pitcher's mound. The pitching rubber is typically made of a hard rubber material of elongated rectangular shape, and in accordance with the rules of the games, the pitcher must be in contact with the pitching rubber while throwing the baseball or softball. The pitching rubber is therefore subjected to a high degree of wear, requiring relatively frequently replacement.
There are essentially two types of pitching rubber construction and installation. At the professional level and institutional (universities, high schools and the like) levels, the pitching rubber is typically rigidly secured to an embedded stationary support. For example, the pitching rubber can be nailed to a wood block embedded in the ground so that the pitching rubber is stationary and fixed, until wear requires replacement. In these types of installations, the quality of the pitching rubber is very important and is the highest.
In lower level recreational environments, the pitching rubber quality is ordinarily less, and the mounting less permanent. On recreational fields where use is high, it is not unusual to accommodate teams and games where the distance from the pitching rubber to home plate varies considerably. For example, for baseball, it can vary from the required 60'6", in accordance with regular baseball rules, to several lesser distances depending upon the age of the players. Where the field is used by players of varying age groups, for example, from 8-9 years of age up to 13-15 years or older, several distances from the pitching rubber to home plate are required, with smaller distances accommodating the younger players. In addition, where the field also accommodates mens' and womens' softball, still further pitching distances are involved.
In high-use recreational fields of the type described, the teams using the field at a particular time will typically bring bases and a pitching rubber, and even occasionally a home plate, to set up the field based on the playing distances. For shorter pitching distances, there are correspondingly shorter distances between the bases. After measuring the proper pitching distance and distance between home plate and the bases, the pitching rubber and bases are temporarily positioned. The pitching rubber typically has 3 or 4 nail spikes extending from the bottom surface of the pitching rubber by means of which the rubber can be properly positioned for play and easily removed after play. The pitching rubber is inexpensive and can best be described as being a relatively low performance item.
It should be noted that there is no absolute requirement for removal of the pitching rubbers, and up to four or five rubbers could be installed in the manner described and left in place in order to accommodate various pitching distances. However, in such event the pitching rubbers tend to affect the play of the game and also make it difficult to properly drag and prepare the field for play.
For all of the reasons indicated above, there has been a great need to provide a high quality pitching rubber which can be stationarily but removably mounted at various pitching distances to accommodate different game requirements.